2.4 (healthy skepticism)
edition #38
all or nothing #38 - are you looking close enough?
table of contents
1.events 2.words 3.missed connections 4.horoscope 5.listen
»looking forward
how many books did you read last year? don’t trip, it’s a rhetorical question - like all the other questions in this newsletter because, ya know, no one ever comments anything. but i get it. words are difficult. reading, writing, texting. it’s literally like trying to crack a code bogged down with the heaps of hidden context and emotional baggage. every chosen letter is an earth shattering decision that may potentially offend, alienate, or attract intense criticism. so what’s the solution? picture books! or art books if you’re “pretentious.“ so come peruse our silly little collection of picture zines at mana contemporary on february 22 & 23 for the jersey art book fair.
»looking back
seeing what isn’t there opening
in the words of one of the 21st century’s greatest performance artists, john cena, “YOU CAN’T SEE ME!“ and with this anonymity i’m awarded the freedom to say and do whatever i want. see, that little allegorical anecdote is actually a triple entendre for the metaphorical theme running through this entire newsletter. was the last sentence completely nonsense or was it, perhaps, poetry? with words, it’s all about context ain’t it? but with visual arts ghosts aren’t just considered but materialized. on the evening of february 1st, 2024, in a crowded hallway masquerading as an art gallery, many young hip spectators gathered to imbibe and perform artistic rituals. it was chaos, it was magic, and it is now gone. but the remnants of their haunting jubilations still remain on the walls of all street’s east village location until february 26th. go visit if you dare.
words
+how to unsuccessfully trust others+
conceptually lone wolves are awesome, they’re self reliant, brave, and unaffected by their own solitude. their own intrinsic self-confidence allows them to exist without constantly seeking the approval of others. maybe they broke off from the pack because their wolf family was xenophobic or sexist or started a podcast and they decided they had enough. so they left the safety of their pack in order to change the enchanted forest for all of its inhabitants, not just the wolves, but all of the world’s creatures. so really the lone wolf is acting to benefit all metaphorical wolves and even non wolves, too. with all that said, there is absolutely nothing lamer than a self-described “lone-wolf.” it’s just icky and, quite frankly, embarrassing. like choosing your own nickname, which is always a desperate cry for help. being a self described lone wolf contradicts the whole purpose of being a “lone wolf.” if you feel compelled to tell other people you’re a lone wolf, then are you actually a lone wolf or just performatively embodying the fursona of a lone wolf to get attention and make yourself seem a little bit more interesting? if you’re genuinely intent on pursuing the lone wolf path, then you must fully accept that no one will ever notice you because you are, as the name suggests, in fact, alone. so there’s no need to label yourself, you just are. this is why in the real world tragic heroes don’t exist. heroes exist in a vacuum, a single context that allows them to be heroic. in an age before the hyperconnectivity of the internet, it was easier for people to exist in singular contexts, movie stars were just actors and presidents were just presidential. and because of this singular context, every outside tidbit of information giving shape to celebrities' whole personhood was fascinating. essentially, a scarcity mindset was carefully constructed, making people desperately seek out information about the seemingly mysterious lives of the rich and famous. but today, mostly thanks to camera phones, people are no longer mysteries. everyone is f*cked up somehow and everyone has skeletons. no matter how dark your past is, though, no one will ever properly understand your unique pain nor does anyone necessarily care to. you don’t have a character arc because you are not a character in anyone’s life other than your own. you’re just another insecure lump of flesh flopping through life like the rest of us. no one else can hear the soundtrack in your crusty old airpods and there's not a multi-million dollar budget or a team of overeager marketers to pander to the masses and illicit sympathy for you. but there’s no need to worry. because if you never rely on anyone else, then you’ll never be let down. so it’s simple: become completely self-sufficient and then you’ll finally be free. admittedly, a couple things will be difficult, though, and kind of limit your self imposed “freedom.” like, let's say you want to travel internationally: either you’ll need to build a boat and get rowing or you’ll have to hop on a plane and, you know, put your life in the hands of a bunch of strangers, which is definitely a bit daunting. so, if you want to find the answer, you’ll need to start asking the right questions.
missed connections
+1.23 conversation pit opening
you: fluent in romance
me: learning love as a second language
description:
you spoke and i tried to keep up. but as i watched your mouth move, it felt like the world swallowed me up and, before i knew it, you were gone.
+1.29 lunar new year
you: shedding your old skin
me: hoping that doesn’t include me
description:
we used to slither together, but lately it’s felt like we’ve been slithering apart. new year, new you - but new year, new us can also be true.
+2.1 seeing what isn’t there opening
you: a whispering memory, amorphous and vague
me: scouring my mind to find your name
description
i didn’t believe in the supernatural until i met you. i didn’t realty believe in anything, if i’m being honest. but when that dumb thing i said made you laugh, i knew ghosts were real. the echoes of your perfect voice have been haunting me ever since.
horoscopes
+Aries+
if you’re reading this, put one hand in the air. if you’re still reading this, put two hands in the air. and if you’re still reading this, why do you have your hands in the air, stupid? interrogate that within yourself.
+Taurus+
you need to be more trusting. if you truly want to demonstrate growth and invest in your future, then you must venmo me (@allst) with a number that’s reflective of how much you want to change.
+Gemini+
an infamous gemini once vengefully spat, “everyone that doubted me, thank you very little,“ which begs the question: why, even in the face of success, do we still feel haunted by the ghostly doubters of our past? because confidence is fleeting, but doubt is forever.
+Cancer+
contrary to popular belief, being a constant contrarian is, in fact, just annoying. so, don’t contradict yourself, just others.
+Leo+
no one likes checking the ingredients, but they must be listed for a reason, right? consider that what you put “in” to life must be putting “out” somehow, too.
+Virgo+
opinions are like your favorite candy. you can’t just have one.
+Libra+
too much of anything can be a bad thing, so first you must define what good and bad means to you. and then decide whether you even care?
+Scorpio+
there’s a great deal of minutia in her eyes if you look close enough. beneath the glossy exterior of that wet cornea is an infinity of possibility, constantly downloading new information, images, and the context which makes you, me, and every living thing unique. you get me? not seeing it? well, i’m not the problem. you are. see, you’re just not looking hard enough. look deep. even deeper than that. deeper. is that love you see? or is love just a combination of chemicals that nerds like to talk about to minimize the crushing weight of their involuntary celibacy. well, first of all what is a nerd? just someone who’s smarter than you? someone that got good grades and now has a steady income and isn’t chasing the empty allure of anonymous love that’s promised in a career in the arts? or is a nerd a state of mind, a personality trait on the spectrum of human being that fluctuates like the weather of our mind: temperamental and unpredictable. but maybe the real question is, what’s the weather? perhaps a capitalist cabal organized to favorably impact our feelings toward the sun? i’ve never actually seen the sun wear sunglasses in real life, but why does every meteorologist frequently employ a cool little sun animation wearing sunglasses to denote when it’s sunny out? it’s a little suspect, if you ask me. everyone claims to love sunshine so much to the point they present their naked bodies before this sunglasses-wearing, thumbs-up-toting celestial god in return for perfectly bronzed bodies. but do we not all realize the sun is literally going to kill us all? like, no matter what we do. the sun is literally going to explode and exterminate all life. that’s your god? no, thanks. interrogate everything and stay curios, my friend. or are we foes?
+Sagittarius+
they say if you stand for nothing, then you’ll fall for anything. it’s pretty hard to fall over if you’re already sitting, though, so remember it’s not about being right, but about being first.
+Capricorn+
this ain’t your week, pal. ya know that thing you’ve been real torn up about? yeah, maybe don’t do it.
+Aquarius+
just keep pretending to be ok and no one will notice how much you’re f*cking up.
+Pisces+
you guessed right.
playlist
+send us your writing, ideas, notes, observations or anything you want to gallery@allstnyc.com to be considered for future editions of all or nothing+
image credits
(1) mishal junaid, girls in lahore 2021; (2) lynne breitfeller, after the fire: water damaged, amorphous head; (3) irem gurel, ice skaters; (4) travis childers, ghosts; (5) onaje grant-simmonds, the holidays; (6) peter shellenberger, poolside; (7) breanna martins, ofelia before the fall. all on view at seeing what isn’t there (77 east third street).
I got to check out that book fair!
I am in love with whoever is writing this. In love with the implied author. The perfect anonymous.